Tapping furnace



w. c. HoGG 2,005,143

TAPPING FURNACE Filed 001'.. 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 June '18, 1935.

WML/Aw C'. H0676 w /f afnes.

4PatcntedlJune 18, 1935 n UNITED STATES PATENT; oFFIcE- f '2,005,143 TAPPING FUnNAcE wiuiam c. non. ritabufgh, Pa.

Application October 5,

6 Cllims.

'This invention relates to the tapping of openhearth furnaces, one of the objects being to perform such an operation in a simplified manner and so that workmen are vnot subjected to the usual incidental dangers. Otherobjects may be inferred.

,An open-hearth is generally tapped by workmen who lclimb down into the runner-spout and pick and scrape with tools to clear its tappinghole. When through to the shell'close -to the metal, these workmen leave and a long rod is thrust through they charging door. 'I'he shell is therebyl ruptured and the metal flow started.

There have been several attempts to provide a substitute for the above operation. These have generally contemplatedthe useof drills, angers, or other cutting implements. Since the tapping-hole is generally closed with dolemite, such tools must be made of expensive tool steel.

.'It frequently happens that the metal flows before these mechanical contrivances can be removed, this destroying the tools and thus excessively increasing maintenance costs; Also,v

these`devices are generally relatively inflexible, so they cannot always follow the sometimes crooked `tapping-hole. They have never been particularly successful. f v i Generally speaking, the present invention consists in the use of a compressed fluid which is impinged against the material closing the tapping-hole. Since thismaterial is of a granular nature, relatively low pressures cause the fluid to penetrate and effect dislodgement. This idea is to be distinguished from that of using lan oxygen lance such as is sometimes done when the dolemite shell cannot be ruptured. I'he new idea is to effect a mechanical removal of the material by compressed fluid.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a specinc example of the invention, Figure 1 being a cross-section of an open-hearth furnace showing the tapping operation under way, and Fig ures 2 and 3 being side and top views of details shown by the first figure.

More particularly, the above illustrate an open-hearth furnace l of the usual type having a tapping-hole 2 which opens from its hearth to a runner-spout 3. Opposite the tapping-hole is a charging door I. No more is described in detail because it is not needed for this disclosure.

It may be assumed that. the tapping-hole 2 was filled with dolemite or other material prior to the charging of the furnace. As the furnace operations began the material next to the bath 1933,l Serial N0. 692,342 (Cl. 26S-42) hardened withl the shell'forming the bottom `as a'whole. `'It is the material from thev outside of the tapping-hole to this shell which". must be removed to permit the metal to run when the latter is punctured by a barthrust through the 5 door 4. i

A horizontal track 4member-5 is arranged adljacent the tapping-hole 2 for vertical and swlnging motion.. It may be 'mountedfby a supporti which is carried by a vertical sliding bar 1, the l0 latter being moved byv an air cylinder 8 of the usual construction.` g

A carriage 8 is reciprocatively mounted by the track member 5. Cables I0 and |I` eachhave one end fixed stationary, asat ill and Ila, and 4lli their other ends xed to opposite ends of the carriage 9, as at lilb andv Hb. Pulleysl'l2 and I3 are provided each of the cables l0 and Il, the latter being reeved Ithereabout between their stationary ends and the carriage 9. Pulleys l2* 20 and I3 are provided toreverse the direction of the cables I 0 and l l to secure a compact construction. A clevis I4 mounts these twopulleys for simultaneous recipro'cation.v This motion is obtained through the medium of a conventional 25 air cylinder l5 whose plunger rod carries this clevis. f j

The carriages horizontally mounts a pipe I6 through a bored support I1 and depending rods i8,'the support I1 being free to ride upwardly 30 on .the latter. Springs I9 restrain such sliding motion yet permit flexible movement of the pipe i5 A line 20 carries compressed fluid to both the air motor l5 and the pipe I6, the latter being 35 by way of a flexible hose 20 and the former being in such a manner that it effects forward reciprocation of the pipe I6 towards the tappinghole 2. A second linel 2| carries compressed fluid to the other end of the air motor l5 whereby the pipev I6 is reciprocated away from the hole 2. The two lines 20 and 2l may be controlled by a suitable air valve 22 so that each may be selectively, alternately connected to a fluid a supply line 23 or released to the atmosphere. Thus, it is possible to reciprocate the pipe I6 towards the tapping-hole 2, the pipe being supplied with compressed fluid when moving toward the hole and this supply stopped when moving w away from the hole.

'I'he pipe I6 has a forwardly directed outlet I8* and a rearwardly directed outlet I6, the compressedl fluid being ejected through both. these outlets at the same time. It is to be noted u i taneou'sly ejected through its two outlets. The

forwardly directed uid dislodges the materialA closing the tapping-hole and, as the hole is provalve 22 may be operated to reciprocate the pipe V,I6 andcauselthe outlet I6l to stroke against the material, this aiding the uuid action. f

' When the vhardened shell close to the metal. 'is reached, the valve 22 is operated to remove the pipe I5 and the air motor 8 operated to raise the rack so that the machine as a whole canbe swung clear from therunner-spout 3. YTapping is then completed, in the usual manner.l In case of unusual difculties, the machine may be used for the introduction of oxygen, althoughl it would probably vbe preferable to use lthe usual lance.

'Where similar conditions exist in othery furnaces having a filling of a granular nature `in lthe tapping-role, the invention is applicable.

I claim:

i. A method of tapping an open-hearth furnace which includes impinging a iluid against the granular material closing its l.tapping-hole, said fluid being under sufllcient pressure and of such characteras to mechanically dislodge said ymaterial. v ,y v

2. A method of rtapping an open-hearth furl nace which includes impinging a fluid against the granular material closing its tapping-hole, said fluid being under sui'cient pressure and of such character as to mechanically dislodge said material, andcreating an outwardly moving fluid flow in said hole of suillcient velocity and of such character as to remove the dislodged material.

3. A furnace tapping machine including the combination of a pipe having a forwardly directed outlet, means for mounting said pipe adf jacent a furnaces tapping-hole for longitudinalk reciprocation thcretowards, and means for supplying said-pipe with compressed fluid and simultaneously moving it towards said tappinghole and for stopping this supply and simultaneously moving said pipe away from said tappinghole. f

4. A furnace tapping machine including the combination of a pipe having a forwardly directed outlet, means for flexibly mounting said pipe in a horizontal position adjacent a furnaces tapping-hole for longitudinal reciprocation there-towards, means for reciprocating said pipe and means for supplying said pipe with compressed uid.

5.7A furnace tapping machine including the combination of a horizontal track member arranged adjacent a furnaces tapping-'hole for swinging motion, a carriage mounted by said member, cables each having one end nxed stationary and their other ends fixed to'opposite ends of said carriage, a pulley for each of said cables, the latter being reeved thereabout between their iixed ends and said carriage., means for simultaneously reciprocating said pulleys, a pipe horizontally mounted bysaid carriage and means for supplying said pipe with compressed fluid. f

6. A furnace tapping machine including the combination of a horizontal track member arranged adjacent a furnaces tapping-hole for vertical and swinging motion, means for vertically moving said member, a carriage mounted by said member. cables each having one end ilxed stationary and their other ends fixed to opposite ends of said carriage, a pulley for each of said cables, `the latter being reeved thereabout be'- tween vtheir xed ends and the carriage, a pipe .l

VWILLIAMl C. HOGG. 

